Just when I think I've seen everything these kids can do, they pull out something undiscovered!

Divergent Thinking:The creativity today was unparalleled as they designed robots to solve a real world problem. Their sketches and ideas showed unmatched innovation, humor, and practicality. Next week we will construct simple prototypes/models of these uncommonly inventive creations.

Convergent Thinking:We tried a new type of convergent thinking with figural and verbal analogies, and the kids were undaunted! I was impressed by their unmistakeable curiosity and willingness to take academic risks with this new format! They did a great job!

Algebraic Thinking:We finished our seemingly unending review of Level 2 HOE with some verbal algebra problems. The kids were unfazed by this change of problem format and did very well. Next week we will proceed with the Level 2 Assessment.

Vocabulary:We ventured into unexplored territory today with a brand new vocabulary tool--the accordion foldable. The kids were excited to watch the magic of this new tool unfold as they constructed it. Their enthusiasm remained high throughout the activity until completion. This was a fantastic way to explore unusual word meanings!

Novel Study: We read a bit more in our book, Ungifted. The story is filled with humor, great pre-teen voices, and unlikely events that keep us guessing. Can't wait to see what unfortunate events befall Donovan next!

HW: Check Edmodo for details on our assignment--Watch one of the robot videos and write a paragraph describing what you viewed. You can submit it as a Word document attached to the Assignment in Edmodo, type your reply to a post (send it just to me, not the group), or write your paragraph on paper and hand it in next week. Please try to choose one of the first two options, if you can. I'd like you to become comfortable with using Edmodo more for assignments.

The kids enjoyed a surprise visit from our Kids' Chess team for an amazing Chess Workshop. Everyone had fun building those critical and evaluative thinking skills. From beginners to advanced players, all extended their skills and communication abilities.

We also had kids in and out for pictures. But it all works out, since Flexibility is one of our strengths!

Algebraic Thinking:We're moving along with lessons at the end of Level 2. Today we focused on using convenient zeros and translating word problems into algebraic equations to solve.

Novel Study:Divergent Thinking/Affective SkillsToday we unpacked a quote from our book, Ungifted. "What if normal people are even weirder than us?" The kids created scenes or comic strips portraying the meanings of this quote. The results were humorous, insightful, and revealing! Love the elaboration, flexibility, and originality we saw today!

VocabularyWe finished up our vocabulary activity from the earlier chapters of our novel. Today we started a new word study focus-prefixes. The very first prefix was...YES, you guessed it....UN! The kids brainstormed as many UN words as possible. We'll use those words next time to create a display.

It was Idiom Day today! We had a day filled with unbelievable fun as we unpacked the meanings of uncommon phrases, known as idioms. The kids chose an unknown idiom to illustrate. Later their classmates had to guess which of these unrevealed phrases matched the illustrations. We also visited the computer lab to create comic strips illustrating the meanings of idioms from our book, Ungifted. The comics were uncommonly funny, and right on the mark! Such creativity, analytical thinking, and wonderful use of humor!

Algebraic Thinking:We strained our brains to unheard of levels as we trooped through Lessons 15 & 16 on Level 2 of Hands-On-Equations. The concentration was unmatched, as they worked through some pretty tough problems.

Vocabulary:We jumped back into our novels to discover the meanings of some unexplored words from the first few chapters.